Rotary reamer



A. BOYNTON,

ROTARY REAMER Origirial Filed Oct 25, 1924 Lia-Z5 16 INVENTOR fi o yvtov,

Alexander ATTORNEYS Patented June 22, 1926 UNITED STATES 1,589,508. PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

ROTARY REAMER.

Application filed October 23, 1924, Serial No. 745,456.. Renewed May 5, 1926,

This invention relates to rotary reamers especially adapted for use in conjunction with oil, gas, or water wells.

The object of the invention is the provision of a rotar reamer of this character which may be a vantageously used' for the purpose, of exposing a maximumamount of surface of the oil, gas, or water bearing formation whereby to increase greatly the production of oil, gas, or water wells.

Another object is the provision of a rotary reamer of this character which may be effectively utilized without-wrenching, twisting or bending the drill stem and which may be easily withdrawn from the well even though the reamer bladebe badly bent or twisted.

A further object resides in the provision of a rotary reamer having the advantages and capacities mentioned and-which operates in such a novel manner as to keep the operator at the surface of the ground definitely advised of the progress of the reaming operation.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully de scribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in section showing the preferred embodiment of the invention and illustrating the same in inactive position as when the rotary reamer is being introduced into the well,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the. rotary reamer as positioned at the completion of a reaming operation,

Figure 3 is a view in bottom plan of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1, and

Figure 4 is a view in section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates the lower end. of a rotary drill stem. This rotary drill stem is hollow and is of conventional construction. It is to be understood that this invention is intended for use in conjunction with the usual equipment and machinery employed in the rotary drilling of oil, gas, or water wells, the usual rotary being employed for rotating the drill stem and the standard equipment ordinarily employed being utilized for lowering and raising the drill stem. lhe usual pumps employed on rotary rigs are also utilized for the purpose of supplying water or fluid under pressure down through the hollow rotary drill stem to the reamer constituting cylinder 13. Below the cylinder 13 the walls of the casing are enlarged, as indicated at 14, in Fig. 1, and these enlarged portions of the casing wall define a transverse opening 15 at the lower end of the casing, the trans" verse opening 15 extending out through the periphery of the casing at one side and also extending down through the lower end of the casing. The upper ends of the enlarged portions 14 of the casing occur at the lower end of the cylinder and present shoulders 14. Preferably the side walls 15 of the opening 15 are flat, plane and parallel.- A reamer blade 16 is provided and has its upper end fitted in the opening 15, the flat faces 16 on the reamer blade engaging the fiat walls 15 of the opening 15 The upper end portion of the reamer blade 16 is formed with a transverse opening 17 and through this opening a pivot pin 18 extends, the pivot pin having a free working fit in the opening 17 The ends of the pivot pin 18 are received in openings 19 in the enlarged portions 1A of the casing 12 and both the extremities of the pivot pin 18 are swaged over, as at 20, to provide heads on the pins which are received in countersinks 19 formed at the outer ends of the openings 19 whereby the pin 18 is effectively riveted to the casing which not only securely fastens the reamer blade 16 in position but atthe same time prevents the supporting walls 14 from being bent or wrenched out of proper position. WVith this arrangement substantially the same portion of the reamer H914 16 is housed in the casing 12 in all positions of the blade so that even though the free end portion of the reamer blade be twisted it will not interfere with the return of the blade to its vertical position and consequentthe piston 22 that operates to force the pisly will not interfere with the withdrawal of the reamer from the well. The blade 16 is provided with a cutting edge 21 which is presented outwardly and upwardly as'the blade swings outwardly and upwardly from the vertical position shown in Fig. 1 to the horizontal position of Fig. 2..

Fluid pressure operated means is' provided for swinging the reamer bladeoutwardly and upwardly as the reamer oper the piston 22 in its downward movement is supplied from the pumps usually employed-- on rotary rigs, the pressure being carried from the pumps down through the hollow drill stem 10 and through a passage 26 in the sub 12 to the upper face .of the piston. Any fluid maybe used as medium for transmitting the pressure fromthe pumps to the piston but usually a liquid, such as water, is employed and this same liquid is utilized at the proper time to wash.the cuttings out of the well for the double pu ose of cleaning out the well in the region 0 the reaming and for advising the operator that-- one stage of the underreaming action has been completed and that it is time to elevate the drill stem, all as will more fully appear hereinafter. In order to carry out the twofold purpose mentioned, the ortion of the casing 12 which constitutes t e cylinder 13 is provided at one point with an inclined port 27 which is controlled by the piston 22 in that the port is isolated from the fluid pressure at all times except when the reamer -blade 16 approaches a horizontal position when the piston 22 uncovers the port 27 and fpermits the port to communicate with the uid pressure in the cylinder 13. The fluid pressuref then forcibly. discharges thmugh the port 27 and washes thecutting s out of the well..

lnoperatiomi when the tool is being low ered into the well the reamer blade is held inthe 'vertical position shown in Fig. .1 by virtue of the action of-gravity. When the tool has been lowered to the bottom of the oil, gas or water bearing strata the pumps of therotaryffrig are started and fluid under pressure is forced down thro gh thehollow drill stem andfthrough the passage 26 of the sub 12 to the upper end of the cylinder 13 wherein the fluid pressure is exerted on 7 sure.

when port 27 is opened the liquid pressureon piston 22 is somewhat relieved, the actionof centrifugal force on the blade 16 at such time compensates for this loss of presfluid pressure to the drill stem 10 and to the cylinder 13 will build up a high degree of pressure which is usually somewhere between three hundred and five hundred pounds per square inch. This supplies a tremendous power for the purpose of swinging the reamer blade outwardly and up- The pumps employed to supply the wardly. Of course, when the pressure has been built up to maximum the pumps will become stalled and will-so remain until the piston 22'has passed the port 27 to permit the liquid or fluid to forcibly discharge through the port and wash the cuttings out rotary drilling ofwells and the raising of the drilling stem returns the blade 16' to its vertical position, due to the engagement with the shoulder at the upper end of the reamed out section of the well. .The operation' above described is then repeated and may be carried out as often as desired. It is-to be noted that by reaming upwardly the drill stem is prevented from swaying or flopping around in the hole and is thereby protected against wrenching or twisting and becoming corkscrewed or rainbowed.

It is to be noted that substantially the same portion of the blade 16 is housed in the opening in all positions, and this is believed to be an important and advantageous feature since the return of the reamer blade to the vertical which is necessary to permit it to be removed from the well is insured even though the outer end of thereamer blade is bent or twisted.

' When the piston 22 has moved down in the cylinder 13v as far as it may, it engages the shoulders 141 and it also engages a portion of the reamer blade. The reamer blade has. a portion which engages the shoulde 11 formed, on the casingll.

. 1.;In a rotaryireamer for wells, a casing having a transverse openi extending out ,through its lower end and rough one portion of its periphery adjacent its lower end, a single reamer blade having one end 'portion fitted in said transverse opening, means for pivotally connecting the reamer blade to the casing, said means including a horizontal pivot extending transversely of the casing to one side of its center, said casing having a cylinder formed therein, a piston operating in the cylinder and having a rack extending'from its lower face at its periphiery and en a in the periphery of the casing, said i eaiiier blade having teeth meshed with said rack.

2. In a rotary reamer for wells, a casing, a reamer blade pivoted on the casing and swingable from a position in substantial alignment with the casing to a; position substantially at right angles thereto, fluid pressure operated means tor swinging the blade including a piston, said casing having a -cylinder in which the piston is fitted, said tion of its periphery adjacent its lower end,

a single reamer blade having one end. portion fitted in said transverse opening, means for pivotally connecting the reamer blade to the casing for swinging movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the reamer blade, said reamer blade being so swingable that substantially the same portion of the reamer blade is housed in the casing in all positions of the blade, the blade being swingable from a substantially vertical position in alignment with the casing to a substantially horizontal position at substantially right angles'thereto, the casing having. a shoulder engageable with the reamer blade when the reamer blade is in horizontal position, and fluid pressure operated means for controlling the reamer blade and comprising a piston, said casing having a cylinder in which the piston operates, a rack connected to the piston, gear teeth on the blade meshed with the rack, said piston having a portion engaging the reamer blade when the reamer blade is in a horizontal position."

rack, said piston having a portion en aging 4. In a rotary reamer for wells, a casing, and a single reamer blade swingable from a vertical position in alignment with the casing ,to a horizontal position at right angles thereto, said reamer blade having a cutting edge presented outwardly and upwardly as the reamer blade swings from its vertical to its horizontal osition, said cut ting edge being presented along the upper horizontal edge of the blade when the blade is in a horizontal position so that the reamer is adapted to carry on an upwardly progressing reaming action.

5. In a rotary reamer for wells, a casing,

a single reamer blade, means for pivotally connecting the reamer blade to the casing, said casing having a cylinder formed there in, a piston opearting in the .cylinder and having a rack extending from its, lower face at its periphery and engaging the periphery of the casing, said reamer blade having teeth meshed-with said rack.

6. In a rotary reamer for wells, a casing having a transverse opening extending out through the lower end and through one por tion of its periphery adjacent its lower end, a single reamer blade having one end por tion fitted in said transverse opening, means for pivotally connecting the reamer blade to the casing for swinging movement about a horizontal axis extending transversely ofthe reamer blade, said reamer blade being so swingable that substantially the same portion of the reamer blade is housed in the casing in all positions of the blade, the blade being swingable from a substantially vertical position in alignment with the casing to a substantially horizontal position at substantially right angles thereto, the casing having a shoulder engageable with the reamer blade when the reamer blade is in horizontal position, and fluid pressure operated means for controlling the reamer blade and comprisinga piston, said casing having .a cylinder in which the piston operates, said casing having a shoulder at the lower end of the cylinder, a rack connected to the piston, gear teeth on the blade meshed with the the reamer blade when the reamer b a e is in a horizontal position, said piston also engaging the shoulder at the lower end of the cylinder and just above the transverse opening when the reamer blade is in horizontal position.

ALEXANDER BOYN TON. 

